Something Interesting
by Smackalicious
Summary: Tony attempts to solve the mystery that is Ziva's desire to become an American, and discovers something else in the process. Tag for Rule 51. Hints of Tiva.


**Title: Something Interesting**  
><strong>Pairing: hints at future TonyZiva**  
><strong>Rating: K+<strong>  
><strong>Genre: Episode Tag, Friendship, subtle hints of Romance<strong>  
><strong>Spoilers: Episode tag for Rule 51.<strong>  
><strong>Warnings: None.<strong>  
><strong>Summary: Tony attempts to solve the mystery that is Ziva's desire to become an American, and discovers something else in the process.<strong>  
><strong>Author's Note: Written for Shywriter as a Secret Santa story. She requested: "On the show, at the very moment after Ziva is sworn in as an American citizen, she looks stunned for a moment – I saw it as a flash of a "what have I done?" moment, as if she rushed through the naturalization process only to have it really hit her after it was too late for second thoughts. However, nothing like that was ever implied again in the show. Assuming that was what happened – develop a story with that in mind: could be she discusses it with Tony, or it colors her thoughts while working, or could be considered in a flashback during some celebration for her becoming a citizen, either that day, or a little later, or a lot later; it could explain later actions or could be her 3d or 4th or 5th thoughts afterward. Still needs to be heavily Tony, but with this as the motivation for whatever happens in the story." I tried my best. :) I hope you like it! Merry Christmas!<strong>

* * *

><p>"You promised."<p>

He could hear her words before she even said them. It wasn't his fault he couldn't be there. He _wanted _to be there. Or at least he thought he did. He just wasn't sure she wanted him to be there.

Yeah, she'd asked him if he would be there, and the tone of her voice, the plea in her eyes she would never speak aloud, told him she wanted him there, but something about it all just seemed . . . off. Like she was trying too hard. All her studying and hard work and insistence that, yes, she wanted to cut all her ties with Israel, with Mossad and her father – Tony just didn't know if he believed it.

Which was why he'd acted like an ass, teasing her about them not wanting her there, like the thought of her becoming an American was too much for him to handle (and in some ways, it was, but not for the ways she probably thought). Of course, McGee was there to assure her and be the friend he'd always been to her, and that seemed to be enough for her to continue on, for which he was grateful. He just never could figure out how to say what he was feeling.

So when he returned from his assignment and came face-to-face with Ziva for the first time since her swearing in as an American citizen, he was surprised when she just looked up at him, gave him a Mona Lisa smile, then returned to her work.

He shrugged off his backpack and let it drop to the floor behind his desk, glancing over at McGee and finding him busy at work, which didn't surprise him. Worker bee McGee.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs' voice tore Tony from his thoughts and he looked over to his boss, standing when the older man held out a piece of paper. "Go check this out. Take Ziva with you."

Tony walked over and retrieved the paper, nodding, then looked over to Ziva, who merely stood from her desk and started for the elevator, not bothering to wait for him. He hurried after her, catching up as she pressed the button to take them down to the main floor.

They stood in silence as they waited for the doors to open and Tony went through a variety of possible "opening lines," as it were, in his head, trying to decide which one might make her smile or laugh, rather than hold a knife to his throat or worse, leave her with that lost look in her eyes he hated to see.

"Tony." He blinked and saw that the elevator had arrived and Ziva was standing inside, waiting for him to join her. She raised an eyebrow. "Joining me?"

He gave her a suave smile. "You could get us into trouble with a question like that, Ziva." He stepped into the car and stood beside her, waggling his eyebrows at her and making her roll her eyes. The simple act made him smile to himself, because he knew an annoyed Ziva was better than a distant Ziva who refused to speak to him.

They rode in silence for a bit, then he spoke. "So, how'd your ceremony go?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to bang his head against the steel wall. That couldn't have been a worse opening line. But Ziva didn't seem to mind, as her lips turned up in that same slight smile from earlier and she said, "It was fine. I am an American citizen now and that's all that matters."

Tony glanced up at the numbers on the display, watching the light switch from the two to the one, and said, "Is it?"

He could almost hear Ziva grinding her teeth at his question, but was saved from possible assassination by the elevator jolting to a stop and the doors sliding open. Ziva pushed herself away from the wall, setting off in a quick walk toward their work car, and Tony steeled his shoulders and followed her, wanting to get to the bottom of whatever it was eating her up about this citizenship thing.

He saw her headed for the driver's side of the car and hurried to beat her there, not needing to add her driving to his list of things to worry about. Before Ziva could open the door, he snatched the keys from her hand and reached around her, placing his hand over hers on the door handle. She stiffened and he slowly withdrew his hand, but not before saying into her ear, "Let me drive. I'd like to live through the day."

She pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest as she walked around the car and yanked the passenger side door open. She ducked inside the slammed the door shut, leaving Tony to run a hand over his face as he contemplated what to do next. He needed to man up, confront her about whatever she was hiding from him, and above all else, be there for her.

He opened his door and got inside, and immediately he could feel the tension rolling off Ziva in waves. A twinge of guilt coursed through his chest at antagonizing her, forcing her to build up those walls he'd slowly started to break through. Though if he was being honest with himself, it wasn't as though it were exactly a two-way street there; she saw through his jokes, the DiNozzo smile that wasn't always true, but he still made sure she'd get electrocuted if she tried to climb over the fence.

"I'm sorry," he said, and felt an instant lifting of the mood in the car as Ziva turned to him, surprised. He shrugged and continued, looking out the windshield rather than at her. One step at a time. "I know how important the ceremony was to you, how you wanted us all to be there. . ."

He felt Ziva's hand come to rest on his forearm and looked down at it, then at her. "You had a job to do. It is not your fault, Tony."

He stared at her for a moment, long enough for Ziva to swallow and start to pull her hand back, but he quickly captured it before she could, leaving her with wide eyes and looking more awake than he'd seen her yet that day. "Do you really want this, Ziva?" He leveled her with a gaze that said he meant more than just her new status as an American, even if he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

She held his gaze for a few moments as she considered his words, and he watched her eyes go through an array of subtle changes, none of them too much of a surprise to him. It wasn't really fair of him to corner her like this, force her to make a decision of this magnitude this way, but at the same time, it needed to be dealt with, and soon.

"It is. . ." Ziva started, and Tony interrupted, knowing how she would finish her statement.

"Complicated, I know. But sometimes complicated is good, Ziva. Keeps you on your toes, keeps things interesting."

Ziva shook her head slightly. "I have had enough of interesting, Tony. That is why I wanted to become an American citizen."

Tony snorted softly. "Yeah, because life here in the good ol' USA is just terribly boring."

Ziva allowed her lips to quirk upwards. "It is far from boring here, especially with people like you around." Tony just raised an eyebrow at that and her smile grew a bit. "But I could not live two lives anymore. I need stability. After all, I am not getting any younger." Her smile turned into a full-blown grin at the expression on Tony's face, how he rolled his eyes. "And perhaps I have realized what I want is here, and not in Israel."

Tony shook a finger at her. "I knew they didn't have Berry Mango Madness back in the old country."

Ziva's eyes shifted down to where Tony still held her hand, the action forgotten, it felt so natural. "That is not what I meant and you know it."

"Ah, yes, back to the whole stability thing." Tony nodded, looking thoughtful. "I don't know. A little bit of crazy is never a bad thing. I mean, I'm in your life, right?"

Ziva nodded, more to herself than anything else, and continued to stare at Tony's hand over hers. "That you are, Tony."

Silence fell again, and Tony couldn't help but think what he was getting himself into here, how dangerous this could be, but he knew he had to try. It wouldn't be easy – they had enough baggage between them to fill a jet – but he saw glimpses of what they could have and he was willing to do what was necessary to make it work. God knows he'd wasted too many opportunities already.

"You know," he finally said after what felt like an eternity of sitting, waiting. "I've got your back, no matter what you choose."

Ziva barely smiled, but Tony could see in her eyes her gratitude. "Well, I have already chose to become an American citizen. . ." she teased, but then her smile grew more genuine. "And I know. Thank you. Again."

Tony finally took his hand off hers and Ziva flexed her fingers, adjusting to the freedom. He waited for her to look back up at him and when she did, licked his lips and said, "Hey, if you decide you need something to shake up that stable routine of yours, you know where to look."

Ziva's mouth turned up on one side as she turned her gaze out the windshield. "Where are we going, Tony? Gibbs is going to get very angry if he discovers we have not even left the parking lot yet."

Tony grinned to himself as he glanced down at the slip of paper Gibbs had given him. His expression turned to confusion as he looked it over, flipping it and checking the other side before saying, "There's nothing on here." Ziva gave him a sidelong look and he held the paper up so she could see for herself, then yanked it away again, causing Ziva to twitch. "You think he knew?"

"That you were going to interrogate me about my life choices?" Ziva asked, and Tony narrowed his eyes at her. She smirked. "It is possible. You always have been rather easy to read." Tony grumbled and balled the blank sheet of paper up in his fist, as Ziva laughed softly to herself. "I do not mind. This conversation has been. . . enlightening."

Tony feigned nonchalance. "Enlightening?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Perhaps I could still use something interesting in my life after all."

Tony tried to keep the smile from his face as he pushed his door open again and prepared to get out. "You asked for it." He stepped out and slammed the door shut, leaving Ziva to sit and smile to herself, more confident than ever that she'd made the right decision in staying in America . . . permanently.

**THE END!**


End file.
